In a message dated 2/1/2004 10:36:43 AM Eastern Standard Time, [email protected] writes: Enjoy, William W. Hatcher Sr. Milledgeville, Ga. God Bless America! Subject: Fw: numberofancestors.htm This is what is encountered when your search for your ancestors. You can see you have 256 grandparents after going back just eight generations. (and a few great internet cousins along the way.) The average number of relatives to 20 generations of grandparents You 2 parents 4 grandparents 8 ggrandparents 16 gggrandparents 32 ggggrandparents 64 gggggrandparents 128 ggggggrandparents 256 gggggggrandparents Actually, going back eight gens you have 510 grandparents if you add them up! Pretty mind boggling -- which is why I laugh when folks say "what name are you researching" well--let me start the list!! Gail Adams